Clinton also took a subtle and unsolicited jab at her nearest competitor in the Democratic field, Vermont Sen. Her remarks were filled with local references, including the indulgences she shared with then-boyfriend Bill Clinton, the future president: green enchiladas, Shiner Bock beer and mango ice cream.
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Clinton and Julian Castro, 41, are hosting a “Latinos for Hillary” rally together in San Antonio later today. During an interview with Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa for Latin Post’s “Turnout” series in late August, the HUD secretary was considered as the top name to be a vice presidential candidate.
“He is the ideal one”, said Angie Perez, who, speaking of Clinton and Castro, said they “represent the color of the nation”.
Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton won the backing of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro on Thursday and said she would seriously consider making the rising Hispanic leader her running mate if she wins her party’s nomination.
More seriously, Hillary Clinton tied the experience to her vow to beat back what she says are moves by the GOP to restrict access to the ballot box, the topic of a speech she gave earlier this year in Houston. Republicans need to invest time and money to reach out to Latinos and get the Republican message into their neighborhoods, he said.
After the debate, he said, “I wanted to make sure I lend all of my support to Secretary Clinton”.
“She showed herself to be presidential, she was the most presidential candidate up there in my opinion”, said Culley, a tourist visiting from Maryland who works for NASA.
“It’s flattering”, he said of the speculation at an event in Kansas City in July, “but there really is not anything to make of it. …”
As Clinton spoke, no theme was more dominant than her efforts to register voters in South Texas as a law student in the 1970s. She told her Hispanic Chamber of Commerce audience that she wants to help small-business owners, especially minorities and women.
Hispanic Democrats have largely stuck by Clinton during the rise of her closest challenger, Bernie Sanders. Barack Obama by a almost two-to-one margin. “What we are trying very, very hard to do – you are going to see us moving very aggressively in that area – is introduce myself to the Latino community”.
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Republicans, who are already treating Castro like Clinton’s running mate, found more fodder in his endorsement. In 2012, turnout among Latino voters was 48%, significantly lower than the turnout rate among African Americans (67%) and whites (64%), according to the center’s statistics.
